Idolizing the music coming out of Death Row Records in the 90s, Oyster Pep has revitalized (and arguably improved upon) the music of the untouchable artists of the Gangsta Rap genre.

Before you get into this article, do yourself a favor and hit Play on the This Is Oyster Pep Spotify playlist below. Detroit-based rapper/producer/breakdancer Oyster Pep (oysterpep.com) has been mastering his craft for more than 25+ years and with the release of Gangster Disco Generation LP, he has infused the sounds of the G-Funk Era with a new energy and vibe. Has he topped the groundbreaking feats performed by the likes of Snoop, Kurupt, Daz, and Warren G? Listen and make the call for yourself...but Oyster Pep knows his tracks can go toe-to-toe with some of the masters of the legendary era.

I’m making music now that is competitive to the music they’re making...and mine may even be better.

Oyster Pep isn't new to the rap game. At the height of Gansta Rap and the West Coast Hip-Hop dominance in the 90s, he was already an active performing artist and breakdancer building an international reputation. More than writing, performing, and breakin', Oyster Pep built up 'Lil Kriz & Big De Major Weight Media and Music Speaks Louder.

In those years Pep took inspiration from the higher energy side of Death Row's G-funk sound--the vibes laid down by records like The Dogg Pound's Dogg Food and Snoop's Murder Was The Case. But now, through his own career path and the experiences he's navigated, Oyster Pep believes he's producing music today that surpasses the quality of his idols'.

While G-Funk was centered around life in Compton and Long Beach, Oyster Pep actually crossed paths with that circle (Daz, Kurupt & co.) in the legal cannabis world of the Pacific Northwest. "I never told them who I was or that I made music," Oyster Pep explains. "Let's just say they ate till they were full and I was left with nonexistent crumbs. I never even got a stinkin' DPG Varsity Leather--probably what I'm most mad about," jokes Oyster Pep. 

What you need to do is check out The Gangster Disco Generation LP. It's available on vinyl now at oysterpep.com/products/cd. There's also all sorts of merch at oysterpep.com/collections/all, as well. Get some and judge for yourself--which came first: the chicken or the egg, Oyster Pep or Tha Dogg Pound?